Underneath It All
by darkangel9314
Summary: Damon Salvatore's life is forever changed when he takes on a patient who has been missing for nine years. As past and present collide, Damon finds out the truth about what happened to Elena through the nine years of her disappearance and promises to help her no matter what it takes to get her through.
1. Chapter 1

Underneath It All

Chapter 1

Damon

Damon Salvatore took a sip from his coffee and read over a patient's file on the computer. It had been a slow day in the psychology ward and he was on the computer reading over a few files. That's when his chief burst through the door and looked at him with a bewildered look on his face.

"What's wrong chief?"

"We have a kidnapping victim coming in."

"What's her case?" Damon said getting up so he could follow the chief to the patient's room.

"Elena Gilbert. She was the one who was kidnapped when she was eleven years old. According to her records she's twenty now. They found her on the street this morning, but every time they try to talk to her about it, well, her PTSD kicks in."

Damon exhaled, but all of his chiefs prepping couldn't have prepared him for what he saw next.

"NO! Let go of me you fucking bastards!" she cried.

That was the first time he saw Elena Gilbert. Two of his coworker Matt and Tyler were trying to calm her down and pull the scalpel from her hands. Blood was streaming down from her wrist as Damon took in the rest of Elena's appearance.

Her skin was covered from head to toe with dirt. There were scratches new and old spread across her body along with more than a few bruises. She had two black eyes and a few deep lacerations on her face. Her hair was also full of tangles, but Damon would not fault this young appearance.

"Please! Just let me die! I don't want to live like this anymore! He'll find me! Don't you understand! He'll find me and he'll kill me! Or worse! He'll take me back there and he'll do what he did to me over and over! Just please let me die! I don't want to feel the pain anymore!" she yelled.

Damon grabbed a syringe so that he could give Elena a sedative. It wouldn't help her through everything, but it would calm her down at least a little bit. She was still thrashing in Matt and Tyler's arms when Damon approached her.

"Please. Make them stop." She said to him almost in a whisper.

"I promise you'll be safe Elena."

"You can't make a promise like that."

"You're right, but I can promise that if you let me help you, I'll do everything in my power to make sure you get through this. I'll do everything in my power to make sure that the animal who did this to you gets caught and put away for a very long time."

Tears streamed down Elena's face as Damon watched the scalpel fall from her hands. She looked up at him looking at him intensely with her brown eyes .

"He deserves to die." She whispered. "Please help the police find him. He has two other girls down there who weren't as fortunate to escape. You have to help them."

"We will Elena, but you have to let me help you first."

She nodded as Damon prepped the sedative.

"This will calm you down a little."

"Will it help me forget?"

Damon stared at her while she closed her eyes. It was obvious she wasn't going to do anything to him. He pressed the syringe in her arms and pressed down to release the sedative in her blood stream. It would at least help her a little.

"Thank you." She said opening her eyes giving him a small smile.

He looked at her and then the chief and back to her again. What had happened to this poor girl?


	2. Chapter 2

Underneath It All

Chapter 2

Damon exhaled as his girlfriend, Rebekah stired in her sleep. She turned over as Damon threw his covers and got ready for his very busy day at work. Usually it wouldn't be a very busy day, but today was the day that the police watned to question Elena Gilbert about her disappearence and his boss had wanted Damon to be there to calm Elena if they needed to.

Damon closed the door quietly not to wake Rebekah up and went down to the hospital where he was needed straight away. Elena was throwing things at the dodging officers. He couldn't say he really blamed her. Damon didn't have a problem with the cops by any means, but this girl had been tortured for most of her life. The least they could have done was leave her alone for a little while.

"Elena!" he yelled.

She looked at him with wild eyes. He saw the fear in them as he slowly moved towards her.

"These men aren't going to hurt you okay. I promise. They're here to help catch the man who has Bonnie and Caroline."

"He knows i'm gone Damon. He's going to take them away again."

"What do you mean again Elena?"

"He always takes us somewhere diffrent every two years. He was taking us to a new place when I escaped."

"Elena, you have to tell them everything."

"I can't Damon. I don't want to remember any of it. Can't i just move on with my life?"

He moved towards her as he reached out to touch her arm. It was obvious that she was letting him, but he knew she could turn deadly at any moment.

"I completly understand why you would want that Elena, but if your life is ever going to be slightly normal again you have to help them. Help them find the man who did this to you. Find him before he either hurts or kills Bonnie and Caroline. Help them find him before he does this to another poor little innocent girl,"

"I was innocence once too you know."

"You still are Elena. You couldn't help what he did to you."

"I should have never walked home that day."

"Tell me what happened. Prettend that the police officers aren't in the room. Just tell me."

Elena nodded as she opened her mouth.

"It all started when i was nine, i was walking home from school one day-"

Eleven years ago

Elena tried to catch up to the bus as it pulled away from the bus stop. Elena puffed out some air through her lips as she kicked the sign post. She didn't want to tell her mother she had missed the bus. Her home wss only about ten blocks away. Maybe she could make it home before her mother noticed.

Elena ran two blocks before she tripped and hit her head on concrete. All she saw before she blacked out was the stranger's feet coming towards her.

When she woke up, a scream erupted from her throat as she tried but mostly failed to get out of her restraints. The ropes were super tight as a man came towards her.

"Who are you? What are you doing to me?" she cried.

"Don't worry Elena. You'll find out soon enough. You and your sisters are going to be my new projects."

She looked around the room to see five other girls in the room. What the hell was he going to do to them?

She was about to ask him when he stuck a syringe in her thraot which made her whole body numb. It terrified her she couldn't move her whole body. what was he going to do to her?

Elena gasped as she fell in Damon's arms.

"Please don't make me say anything more."

"We need to ask you a few questions."

She looked up at Damon and he nodded.

"Who were the five girls?"

"Well there was Bonnie, Caroline, Vickie, Liv, and April."

"What happened to the other three girls?"

"He killed all of them. He killed them in front of us, because they would fight him. He raped all of us daily. He didn't care what are ages were."

"That's what happened to you after he placed the syringe in your throat." Damon said.

Elena nodded not watning to say much more.

"I think we're done here for today gentlemen. You can resume your questioning for Ms Gilbert tomorrow."

The police officers nodded as they left the room.

"Thank you." Elena said climbing back into her bed.

"You can't keep atracking people Elena."

"I know, but I can't help it. What he did to all of us Damon, it was horrible. I saw so many things that i shouldn't have saw. I've been through so many thingd that i shouldn't have been through."

"I agree. We'll talk more about it tomorrow. For now get some rest."

She nodded as her head hit the pillow. Damon didn't know who had done this to her, but he was sure going to find out.


	3. Chapter 3

Underneath It All

Chapter 3

Damon looked at the computer screen typing up a few lab results as his boss walked in giving him a file. Damon looked at the file and it had Elena's name on it.

"What's this?" Damon asked holding up the folder.

"It's Elena's information. And her families current status."

"This means we can find her family and tell them that she's alive."

His boss nodded smiling from ear to ear. This was good news, but Damon wasn't sure how Elena would take it. She had been away from her family for so long that it could have had lasting effects.

"I'll ask her if she wants us to contact them. I'll be right back."

Damon got out of his chair and walked to the room that had become familiar to him by now. Elena was sound asleep when he walked in and he went over to her bed startling her awake accidentally.

"it's okay Elena it's me."

She rubbed her eyes and sat up no longer in a slight panic. Her hair was messy and her eyes looked like she hadn't slept in days. She was still probably having nightmares.

"Hi Damon. What's up?"

"We found your family."

She looked at him with surprise in her eyes. "You did."

"Yes and we need your permission to contact them. Did you want to see your family."

She inhaled looking anywhere but beside him.

"I don't know Damon. I haven't been myself lately and I want to recover more before I see them."

"Elena-"

"Please understand Damon I need help. I keep having nightmares. I attack people for no reason. What if they accidently say the wrong thing and I snap?"

"They're your family Elena."

Elena looked at him with tears in her eyes.

"I don't remember them Damon. All I remember is the monster who took me and Bonnie and Caroline. Has there been in progress in the investagation?"

"I wouldn't know that Elena. That's private police matters."

Elena sat back lloking blankly at the wall. He grabbed her hand and she looked back at him.

"What happened to Bonnie and Caroline isn't your fault Elena."

"I left them there Damon. As far as i'm concerned whatever happens to them is my fault."

She laid back down in her bed as she contin ued to look at them. Damon couldn't help, but feel sorry for Elena. How could he convince her that this wasn't her fault?

"Can you please let me rest for a bit longer? We can talk about letting my family visit later."

He nodded standing back up. " Of course."

He gave her one last glance before leaving the room.


	4. Chapter 4

Underneath It All

Chapter 4

For Damon Salvatore it started out as a normal day, he had started the morning in bed with his wife Rebekah Mikaelson. If only they had told him that this would be one of the worse days of his life then he wouldn't have gone into work. He would have avoided the world all together. Unfortunately no one had told him, so his day went like this.

Damon exhaled as Rebekah's back hit the bed. There was nothing better than morning sex before a hard day at work. Rebekah cuddled beside him soaking up his warmth.

"I wish you didn't have to go to work today."

"I do too, but this Elena Gilbert case is sensitive at the moment and I need to be there as much as possible."

Rebekah shrugged as Damon got out of the bed and got dressed.

"Come on my beautiful wife. It's time to eat breakfast."

"Yummy."

After they finished breakfast, Damon set off to work. As soon as he opened the doors, he heard code blue coming from Elena's room. He ran towards it and was shocked by what he saw.

A nurse was there holding pressure on both of Elena wrist. Blood was all over the sheets and was flowing from Elena's wrist. Damon rushed over to Elena and helped the nurse stop the bleeding and bandage up Elena.

He exhaled as he got Elena's heart start beating again. He had to report this to his supervisor.

"Watch her and make sure she doesn't hurt herself. I need to go report this."

The nurse nodded and Damon went to go see his boss. After reporting the incident his boss looked at him with a look of displeasure on his face.

"I need you to stay later tonight and watch her. I'm putting her under suicide watch. It's for her own good."

Damon nodded and walked back to Elena's room. He sat down in the chair beside her bed after he excused the nurse. It looked like he would be here a while. He sent Rebekah a text explanning the situation.

A moan escaped from Elena's lips as she turned her head towards Damon.

"Am I in heaven?"

"No. Thankfully a nurse found you and you'll be alright. What you did was careless Elena. Why did you do it?"

Elena sighed as she looked at her bandage wrist.

"Because I don't deserve to survive."

"Why would you say that? You did nothing wrong."

"I left them Damon. I deserve to rot in hell."

"The guy who kidnapped you deserves to rot in hell."

Elena sighed.

"You need more rest."

"Does that mean you're going to leave me alone?"

"Not a chance. You're under suicide watch for the next 72 hours. I'm not going anywhere until i'm for sure you're better."

"Great."

"Just rest you'll feel better after it."

"I doubt it. I might be away from him, but i'll never escape them. He's still there. In my memories. In my dreams. I'll never truly be free Damon. And I don't expect you to understand that."

Damon sighed as Elena turned her head to fall back asleep. He just hoped that eventually he would be able to help Elena.


	5. Chapter 5

Underneath It All

Chapter 5

After Damon got done with the job and had a few hours of sleep, Rebekah and him went to their special place and had dinner. Although Rebekah didn't seem as into it as she normally did. As a matter of fact she actually seemed really distraught and distracted.

"Rebekah, what's wrong?"

"I need to tell you something and I know you're not going to like it."

Damon waited patiently for Rebekah to tell him what was going on. He just had a really bad feeling about this.

"I don't really know how to tell you this so i'm just going to come out and say it. I cheated on you."

Damon exhaled as he looked at Rebekah. How could someone he love so much break his heart like it was nothing? Hadn't she thought about him while she was in the company of another lover? He had to find out more.

"What's his name?"

Rebekah sighed as she looked around uncomfortable.

"Actually it's multiple people. It's not just boys either, i've had a few girls as well."

Damon looked at her. " How many?"

"Roughly ten if I would have to guess."

"Ten? Seriously! You cheated on me with ten different people and you just barely now tell me. Why the change of heart Rebekah? Why tell me now instead of deceiving me further?"

"Because i'm tired of living a lie Damon and you're so much better off without me. I just an't do this anymore please understand."

"I do understand Rebekah. I understand that you're a selfish slut who never deserved me in the first place. And who is now stuck with the check. Have a nice life."

Damon got up and walked out of the restraunt with a fire in his heart. He had to distract himself from the pain and he knew exactly where to do it


	6. Chapter 6

Underneath It All

Chapter 6

Damon had always hated charting, but he knew it had to get done. He was charting up something when his boss came up to him.

"It's a miracle." he said making Damon look up.

"What's a miracle?"

"Elena, she wanted us to willingly call the police this morning. She's giving the rest of her statement. Well at last I think she is. At least she's finally cooperating."

"That's great. Really great. Do you think I can see her?"

"I don't see why not, she is your patient and it might help if you're there with her."

Damon nodded and went to go see Elena. She had turned into the best part of his day for the moment and he really wanted her to get better.

When he got to her room Elena was there talking to two officers and she was crying. What had they done to her?

Damon rushed over to Elena and grabbed her hand in a comforting gesture. She looked at him with wide eyes and tried to smile through her tears but she knew she couldn't.

"It's okay, you can do this."

She nodded wiping away her tears and looking back at the police.

"I once pregnant once or maybe it was twice, I-I can't really remember all I remember is the excruciating pain I was in as I gave birth to them. He would always take our babies away. I had no clue what he did to them, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't good. I had two children. They were his of course, but they were still a part of me. I should of got a choice of what happened to them, but I didn't and I'll never know if they're dead or alive and that really hurts. It really does. And that's the thing I want to make him pay for the most. So if you could please help me find my children whether they're dead ir alive I would be greatly appreciated. "

The police nodded as they wrote her statement down and nodded leaving the room. Surely she wasn't done.

"Why are they leaving?"

"They though it would be best to continue with the investigation when I was more comfortable talking about things at my pace. But there is some good news."

"And what's that?"

"I get to go home soon. Isn't that great? The doctors say I'm all healed up and I get to leave soon. I can finally live my life the way I want to but can you keep a secret."

"Of course."

"I'm scared. I'm scared of actually living."

He nodded and squeezed her hand.

"Can I tell you a secret?"

She nodded trying to see through her tears.

"I think we all are."

She smiled as he pulled her in a hug afraid to let her go.


	7. Chapter 7

Underneath It All

Chapter 7

If Damon Salvatore had to pick the hardest thing that he had to do in his life it would be the moments in which he would have to say goodbye to people. On Elena Gilbert;'s last day in the hospital Damon found her standing by her window holding onto a necklace that hung to her neck like it was her last chance at survival and looking down to the streets below as if she was terrified at what they held. And after what she had been through in these past years he couldn't say he blamed her.

He knocked softly on her door making her turn from the window and smile at him. He had to admit that he would miss that smile.

"Hey." she said softly.

"Hey I heard you were going home today. That must be a big change for you."

"Everything in my life has been a big change. This will just be one of the more happy ones."

Damon smile as he stepped into the room.

"I'll have to admit things will be awfully dull here without you."

She smiled bigger. " I can imagine so. I guess I'll miss you too."

Before Damon could say anything further, an older couple stepped into the room the woman rushing to Elena who flinched instantly when the woman touched her. Damon knew that Elena was getting better at human interaction but she still wasn't one hundred percent yet.

"Hey baby, are you ready to go back home?"

"More than ready." she said grabbing her bag and heading towards the door before she did she hugged Damon smiling while she did.

"Thank you for everything Dr. Salvatore."

"You're welcome Elena Gilbert. I hope your life treats you well."

"I hope so too, Damon, I hope so too."


End file.
